1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to catheter distal end assemblies, and more particularly to surface coatings for such assemblies.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, catheter components such as electrodes and thermocouples are placed onto electrophysiology catheters manually. The electrodes are then held in position and masked with adhesive. This process is very time consuming and thus quite expensive. An undesirable feature of such a catheter-electrode construction for ablation is that it has high electrode edge effects that are attributed to delivering RF energy to an electrode having a sharp transition between the conductive electrode and the insulating catheter body. A further limitation in the prior art is that toxic materials such as those composed of silver and lead, cannot be used where direct contact with the patient's tissues and bodily fluids occur. Additionally, many prior art catheter devices are formed with small openings and crevices which permit the ingress and retention of bodily fluids and tissue. There is therefore a need for a surface coating for catheter distal end assemblies that solves these problems.